Landlord licensing in Lambeth

Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities. Check the council for the current fee.

SCHEME OVERVIEW: London Borough of Lambeth operates a Selective Licensing scheme in TWO PHASES — covering nearly the entire borough except 2 wards. (A) PHASE 1 — came into force on 2 September 2024 and runs for 5 years until 1 September 2029. Covers 4 wards in the south of the borough: KNIGHTS HILL, STREATHAM COMMON & VALE, STREATHAM HILL EAST, STREATHAM ST LEONARDS. Approved without Secretary of State authorization (source: londonpropertylicensing.co.uk/lambeth and patrickhenry.london). (B) PHASE 2 — came into force on 1 September 2025 and runs for 5 years. Covers 19 ADDITIONAL wards: BRIXTON ACRE LANE, BRIXTON NORTH, BRIXTON RUSH COMMON, BRIXTON WINDRUSH, CLAPHAM COMMON & ABBEVILLE, CLAPHAM EAST, CLAPHAM PARK, CLAPHAM TOWN, GIPSY HILL, HERNE HILL & LOUGHBOROUGH JUNCTION, KENNINGTON, MYATT'S FIELD, OVAL, ST MARTIN'S, STOCKWELL EAST, STOCKWELL WEST & LARKHALL, STREATHAM HILL WEST & THORNTON, STREATHAM WELLS, WEST DULWICH. Decision made by Cabinet Member for Safer Communities on 15 May 2025. Phase 2 was initially delayed pending government approval — the rules then changed (General Approval December 2024) so external approval was no longer required. Early applications opened 1 August 2025; scheme came into force 1 September 2025. EXCLUSIONS: Only 2 wards in Lambeth are NOT subject to selective licensing — VAUXHALL and WATERLOO & SOUTH BANK. Every other ward in Lambeth is now in scope. WHO NEEDS A LICENCE: All privately rented properties within the designated wards occupied by a single household or 2 unrelated sharers. Lambeth estimates over 48,000 private rented homes in the borough — the scheme will apply to tens of thousands of properties. HMOs are licensed under the Mandatory or Additional schemes instead. FEES: £923 per property — the highest selective licensing fee in London. Two-part structure (Part A on application, Part B automatically debited once draft licence is issued). Discounts: £50 off Part B for EPC rating C or better; £75 off Part B for accredited landlords (LLAS, NRLA); £100 off Part A for subsequent flats in the same block (after the first flat) where multiple properties are licensed together — applicants can submit and pay for up to 8 applications at once via the portal. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Land Registry title (freehold and leasehold where applicable, dated within 28 days of application); Gas Safety Certificate; Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) plus EICR certificate evidencing remediation of any C1/C2 deficiencies; EPC if claiming the discount; current tenancy/management agreements; accreditation evidence if claiming the accreditation discount. LICENCE CONDITIONS: Health and safety, fire precautions, gas/electrical safety certificates, structural condition, anti-social behaviour management, written tenancy agreements, fit and proper person test for licence holder. ENFORCEMENT: Operating an unlicensed property in a designated area is a criminal offence. Civil financial penalty up to £30,000 per offence. Unlimited fine on conviction. RROs up to 12 months (24 months under Renters' Rights Act 2025). Section 21 invalid where unlicensed. CONTACT: lambeth.gov.uk/housing/landlords-licensing/selective-licensing-scheme online application portal.

Scheme runs until: 1 September 2029

SCHEME OVERVIEW: London Borough of Lambeth operates a BOROUGH-WIDE Additional HMO Licensing Scheme that came into force on 9 December 2021 and runs for 5 years until 8 December 2026 (source: lambeth.gov.uk/housing/landlords-licensing/houses-multiple-occupation-hmos/additional-hmo-licensing — official Lambeth Council additional HMO licensing page). Decision made by Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness Cllr Maria Kay on 8 September 2021. LEGAL BASIS: Designation under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004. WHO NEEDS A LICENCE: Any property occupied by 3 or more individuals forming 2+ households that is not captured by Mandatory HMO Licensing. Includes: - Multiple-occupied flats in purpose-built blocks containing more than 2 flats where the flat is occupied by 3 or more persons - Section 257 HMOs — buildings converted into self-contained flats where ALL the following are true: the conversion did not comply with 1991 Building Regulations and still does not comply Approximately 5,000 HMOs in scope including house and flat shares, bedsits, and some converted buildings. Famous areas covered include Brixton, The Oval, Crystal Palace, and Waterloo. FEES: £520 per habitable room (£506 in earlier reporting; updated to £520 per habitable room from 1 April 2025 — current as of November 2025). For a 5-bedroom HMO that is £2,600 per licence — currently the highest per-bedroom HMO fee in the UK (source: landlordzone.co.uk reporting). For section 257 applications, £520 per self-contained flat in the converted building. A habitable room is defined as a room used for sleeping (dining/living rooms not counted). Two-part fee structure: two-thirds Part A on application (processing); one-third Part B on approval. Lambeth has REMOVED the renewal discount as of April 2025. Discounts: £75 to Part B for accredited landlords (LLAS, NRLA etc) — significantly reduced from the previous 20% discount which would have saved £520 on a 5-bed HMO. NO discounts where council has made 2 requests for additional documents OR served a warning letter for failure to licence. LICENCE CONDITIONS: 22 conditions in total. Cover fire safety, gas safety (annual certificate), electrical safety (5-year EICR), structural condition, kitchen/bathroom facilities, room sizes, waste management, anti-social behaviour management, written tenancy agreements, fit and proper person test. Lambeth notes that landlords unable to meet these requirements must appoint a letting agent or other third party to manage the property. EXEMPTIONS: Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004 — properties controlled or managed by public sector bodies, registered social housing providers, etc. PROCESSING DELAYS: Lambeth has reported a notable backlog following the Additional Licensing scheme launch — applications take time to process. ARTICLE 4 DIRECTION: Made on 7 August 2024 (non-immediate), confirmed 24 July 2025, came into force 11 August 2025. Covers Streatham Common & Vale and Streatham St Leonard's wards. From 11 August 2025 planning permission is required for change of use C3 → C4 in these wards. Not retrospective. ENFORCEMENT: Civil financial penalty up to £30,000 per offence. Unlimited fine on conviction. RROs up to 12 months (24 months under Renters' Rights Act 2025). Section 21 invalid where unlicensed. Council may issue Interim Management Orders to take management control of an unlicensed HMO. CONTACT: lambeth.gov.uk/housing/landlords-licensing online application portal.